Rainy Lake – advice?

Booked a trip to Rainy Lake for late August, to replace LOTW trip that was cancelled by the covid. Never fished here so if anyone has some advice that would be great. We like to cast more than jig….for smallies and walleye. And if there are decent musky numbers I’ll put the work in. We’ll be there for 6 days and be based out of a houseboat. Thanks for your help!

I would think late August they should be on the humps & reefs. East end if you want to make the jaunt.

Troll the edges of the same humps & reefs for the bigger Pike. They will be starting to get the feed bag on.

Have fun.

My guess is walleyes will be deeper, reefs and humps as Dutchboy mentioned, many of which are on the east end and in the 20 to 35ft depth range (some deeper). Smallies may be up shallower for casting swimbaits though? (not sure never targetted them honestly)

I will be on Rainy for the first week in August, have some experience out there but have only fished it in early October before (plus 1 guided ice trip)

I highly recommend the Lakemaster Woods/Rainy chip if you dont have it, lots of places rocks can jump out in front of you from nowhere….

Thanks Dutch. Dutch was my Dad’s nickname in the Navy in WWII.

Thanka Storm! I don’t have that chip. I ordered a new boat that will deliver next year…with a Helix 10 on the console. My present boat has a Helix 7 on the console. I would buy the chip if I could transfer it to the new Helix next year.

Tim Chrouser wrote:

Thanks Dutch. Dutch was my Dad’s nickname in the Navy in WWII.

If it was good enough for a veteran, it’s good enough for me.

Tim Chrouser wrote:

Thanka Storm! I don’t have that chip. I ordered a new boat that will deliver next year…with a Helix 10 on the console. My present boat has a Helix 7 on the console. I would buy the chip if I could transfer it to the new Helix next year.

As far as I know the Lakemaster chips work in all Humminbirds that have the card slots. I just upgraded from a 898 to a Helix 12. I didn’t need to get a new chip.
I would not go to Rainy without a map chip. JMO

Good to know. I’ll get the chip now. Appreciate it!

My brother was there with his in-laws recently and one thing that sticks out to me from what he said is to really watch out for rocks in the shallow areas. Sounds like they may have run their prop into one a time or two.

mxskeeter wrote:

I would not go to Rainy without a map chip. JMO

Could not agree more. Fished Rainy for 35 years. Have seen plenty of boats and a houseboat hit rocks. Mapping chip is a must.

Even with a good map card, be careful. Not all hazards are marked, and some are not marked very accurately. If you’re in less than 20 feet, be careful. If you’re in less than 10 feet, be paranoid.

We have caught nice crappies there, too, suspended off the first drop mixed in with walleyes. Jig and minnow or jig and gulp. Got a few on small jigging raps, too.

Tim,
Headed up to Rainy on Sunday for 5 days. Camping on the East end at Kempton Entrance. I’ll drop you a report when we get back. Won’t be fishing really hard since the family is along, but weather is looking decent (windy to start tho)so will get out and giver a bit. Hope to find the eye’s on the offshore reefs, but may have to look at island structure too. Seems the eyes are slow to get offshore this year. Use your electronics and fish the fish you mark, and definitely get the chip. Lots of unmarked rocks once you get into bays so go slow and be careful.

xplorer wrote:

Tim,
Headed up to Rainy on Sunday for 5 days. Camping on the East end at Kempton Entrance. I’ll drop you a report when we get back. Won’t be fishing really hard since the family is along, but weather is looking decent (windy to start tho)so will get out and giver a bit. Hope to find the eye’s on the offshore reefs, but may have to look at island structure too. Seems the eyes are slow to get offshore this year. Use your electronics and fish the fish you mark, and definitely get the chip. Lots of unmarked rocks once you get into bays so go slow and be careful.

Very good info for anyone headed to Rainy.

xplorer wrote:

Tim,
Headed up to Rainy on Sunday for 5 days. Camping on the East end at Kempton Entrance. I’ll drop you a report when we get back. Won’t be fishing really hard since the family is along, but weather is looking decent (windy to start tho)so will get out and giver a bit. Hope to find the eye’s on the offshore reefs, but may have to look at island structure too. Seems the eyes are slow to get offshore this year. Use your electronics and fish the fish you mark, and definitely get the chip. Lots of unmarked rocks once you get into bays so go slow and be careful.

x2

Lots of good advice, and with the chip if you have a way of utilizing it while driving the houseboat it can help a lot. Stay in the navigational channel on your way out, it’s marked by bouys and pretty straight forward outside of the Brule Narrows. There’s a ton of great spots for the HB to anchor, but I like going further east as there’s less traffic and some awesome sandy beach spots. I haven’t been there that time of year so not much help on the fishing. Musky are in there, but as far as I know not many target them and those that do focus in Canada which is off limits currently. Bring plenty of bug repellants, foggers, thermacell’s etc.!

Yea….I’m getting the chip. Rainy Lake chip also covers LOTW and I’m going there next year for first time, so I’ll need it.
Over the last 27 years I’ve hit about 7 rocks (Minnitaki). Never took out lower unit but I’ve had to rebuild skeg many times and gone through several props.

Thanks Wayne! Hope you get into them good. I look forward to hearing how your trip went.

Thanks BW! Yes…I believe we will travel pretty far East. This trip is replacing our Minnitaki boat-in camp trip so we like to get as remote as we can, while still enjoying the comfort of our own boats. That’s the life, man!

I will post a report when I get back from my trip on 8/1 to 8/8. We are staying at Sha Sha but plan on burning as much gas as needed to find fish

Have good trip! Knockem dead.